


Catching Shadows, Chasing Light

by Voleyn



Series: As the moon cycles [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Backstory, First Meetings, M/M, Shingeki no Kyojin: Kuinaki Sentaku | Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Vampire Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), ackerbond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:00:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28788369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voleyn/pseuds/Voleyn
Summary: Years before the fall of Wall Maria and the subsequent reclamation of Shiganshina and eradication of the Titans, Squad Leader Erwin Smith had been tasked to investigate rumors of the supernatural that lived in the Underground.When he finds one Levi Ackerman feeding on a random thug, he's shocked and awed by the speed and strength of the vampire and his skill with ODM gear. Naturally, instead of subduing Levi and bringing him into custody, he decides a small change of plans is in order. Erwin needs the vampire in the Survey Corps, even if he has to drag him into the sunlight kicking and screaming. He hopes diplomacy will be enough to prevent that.And Levi? Well, he'll be looking forwards to the night terrors and existential dread, because the fresh air and freedom Erwin offers him is more tantalizing than the promise of fresh blood upon his tongue.(Takes place before Moonstruck; tells the story of how Erwin got Levi to join the Survey Corps.)
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Series: As the moon cycles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110467
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	Catching Shadows, Chasing Light

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not completely happy with this, but I'm tired of looking at it, so here.
> 
> This had been in my mind for awhile; I'm planning to add onto this at some point, but idk when that'll be so for now it's complete. The next chapter would be an Eruri AU to Moonstruck.
> 
> The whole existential dread thing/line comes from some artwork I saw awhile back, but I can't for the life of me find it again. But it tickled me, so I added it here.

There was an undeniable fact that was common knowledge within the Survey Corps, and it was this:

Erwin Smith had a shadow, and his name was Levi Ackerman.

Few were still alive who remembered the circumstances that the small man had shown up under; it seemed as if one day, Erwin Smith walked alone and the next, there was a silent, constant presence at his side that walked with the air of having always been there. Where the Commander went, his companion followed, and it was hard to imagine a time when they hadn’t been together.

If there were few that still remembered the day that Levi had appeared in the Corps, then even fewer knew the exact circumstances that had led to Levi joining the most tumultuous branch of the military, and fewer than that knew the truth of his nature.

Levi remembered it well, however, and it was a meeting that he would be hard-pressed to forget, no matter how long he ended up living. His body was durable and he was near-unkillable, but not even a vampire could survive being torn apart by giant hands or gnashing teeth almost as long as his entire body.

````

The Underground was a dark, desolate place, and while it supposedly suited Levi’s nature and allowed him to keep his nature a secret with ease, it was still distasteful to every one of his senses.

Levi had to repress a distasteful curl of his lips as he looked out over the filthy, broken-down buildings of the city hidden away under the rich, gluttonous nobles of Sina.

 _How ironic,_ Levi thought, pale grey eyes skimming over the poverty-ridden depths, _that underneath all of their riches and finery, we stew in filth and shit._

The opening of a door and quiet footsteps sounded. Levi bit back a sigh, knowing what his friend was going to say.

“You know, you don’t need to go out, Levi,” Farlan said quietly, shutting the door behind him so as to not be heard. He knew of Levi’s distaste for feeding off of Undergrounders due to his aversion to filth and the unpleasant taste of blood from the undernourished, sickly, or drugged. “You can-”

“Not happening,” Levi said, tone short and clipped as he turned to look at Farlan. The blonde’s skin was already naturally pale from lack of good sunlight, but Levi could see that was still not back to its normal shade. It lacked the healthy pink undertone that bespoke plenty of blood flowing through his veins. He’d fed from Farlan not too long ago and he still hadn’t replenished what Levi had taken judging by the slightly greyish pallor.

It was hard for Farlan and Isabel to keep up with his needs. Even though they lived better than most in the Underground, food still wasn’t plentiful and acting as Levi’s occasional donors was a heavy toll on their bodies.

“We’ve got another job to start in a few days,” Levi told him. He hated the disappointed look on Farlan’s face, but it had been too long since he’d last fed. He’d need to take more than what little Farlan and Isabel could give him, and he absolutely refused to drain them to the point that it seriously injured them. “You and Isabel get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”

And with that, Levi slid out the window and landed on the streets, narrowly avoiding landing in a puddle of putrid water. Nose wrinkling in disgust at the fetid smell of the streets, Levi pulled up his collar a bit and slunk away from their hideout.

It disgusted him to do so, but he kept scenting the air as he wandered, attempting to find a human that wasn’t too filthy or sickly for him to feed from. Considering fresh water was rare and soap even more so, it was a difficult task.

But the thought of filth in his mouth made him want to retch in disgust, and so he kept wandering.

Eventually, a faint hint of detergent reached his sensitive nose and Levi paused mid-step to raise his head up and sniff just a bit.

Detergent meant that someone had just washed; as long as they weren’t ill, they’d do nicely.

Following the scent, he tracked it down to the main street of the Underground, cursing a bit as it lead him to the shoddy, overpriced market. Even though Undergrounders were poor, they still flocked to the market to spend scarce coin on what little necessities they could afford, so it was likely to be busy. If whoever he was tracking was in the midst of a crowd, there was no way he was going to be able to Compel them to follow him without his eyes being seen.

In the dim light of the Underground, they shone too brightly.

Still, he peered around, trying to locate the source of the scent. He made sure to keep away from the crowds; he’d made a name for himself here, and even if most didn’t know exactly what Levi looked like, it only took one person to recognize him.

At least it seemed like he was the only supernatural being in the area. Vampires tended to stay away from one another and the small moonkin pack he kept tabs on stayed more to their claimed territory to the north. There were a few succubi in the brothels scattered throughout the Underground as well that he occasionally got information from.

The price for their information was high, but to learn the Military Police’s movements and when there was valuable cargo being moved always turned out be well worth the coin they demanded.

A flash of green and then the telltale brown of a soldier’s jacket caught the corner of his eye. Cursing, Levi turned in the other direction and began slicing through the throngs of people.

He kept his head tilted down and his eyes closed as much as possible to avoid the silver sheen from being spotted as he reached out with his Compulsion to give a gentle nudge to the people around him. It wasn’t a full control, just a few threads cast out to give the humans a subtle urge to move aside and let him pass through without fuss.

Isabel probably wouldn’t approve, but lately, he’d heard from a few old sources that a few of the supernaturals he knew of in the Underground had gone missing. Apparently, Military Police had caught wind of their existence and rumors had started to spread, so they’d begun to hunt Levi’s kind down.

Levi didn’t know for sure what happened to them, but based on some of the rumors he’d heard it wasn’t hard to guess. The unlucky creatures were most likely either sold on the black market or experimented on in the capital.

And Levi had no desire to join the ranks of the captured today.

So with only a mild sense of disdain for himself, he lost himself in the crowd. He wanted to get as far away from the brief flash of soldiers he’d seen as possible.

The crowds started to thin and Levi inhaled with relief only to get a whiff of detergent again. His eyes opened and flicked over to a darkened alley; his instincts took over a bit and after a brief internal debate, Levi walked silently into the alley.

His eyes scanned the dark depths; to anyone else, it was too dim to see easily, but his keen vision was able to see the entirety of it with ease. To Levi’s surprise, he saw only a lone thug leaning against the wall, idly playing with a knife.

To Levi’s trained eye, he looked cleaner than most in the Underground. His hair was neatly groomed, clothes freshly pressed and his skin lacked the dirt and grime that seemed to coat everything here. But there was something about his confident, sure set of his shoulders and alert demeanor that set off warning bells in Levi’s head. 

_Ex-military_ , Levi thought. His eyes flashed to a tattoo of a unicorn on his wrist and his lip curled. _Ex-Military Police_ , Levi corrected.

Fuck, he didn’t want to be _anywhere_ near the little group of former soldiers that had popped up in the Underground a year or so ago. He was pretty sure they were responsible for so many creatures of the night going missing, feeding information to their former comrades in exchange for money and food to keep them thriving down here.

Sneering, Levi turned, but the slight sound of his heel on the cobblestones got the thug’s attention.

“Hey!” he called, tucking his knife away and gesturing to Levi. “Come ‘ere for a moment. Wanna see if you’ve seen anything unusual lately.”

Yup, _definitely_ feeding information to the Military Police.

“Fuck off,” Levi spat over his shoulder, already walking away.

“Fucking _runt_ ,” the thug grumbled, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. He spat on the ground, shaking his head. “Apparently no one ever beat respect into you.”

…And maybe if Levi had been more well-fed, hadn’t been so fucking hungry and irritable and on-edge from trying to keep his eyes and fangs reigned in, he would have just let it go. But the thought of being looked down on by someone who openly sold out the location of Levi’s fellow supernatural, of being called a runt and disrespectful…

A flash of his brief time with Kenny spun through his mind; he remembered claws digging into and rending his skin, kick after kick delivered to his ribs and the cold feel of a metal knife slicing through him time after time, only to heal over and over again.

_Pain is the best discipline, runt. Sooner you learn that, the better._

Cold anger surged through Levi and his eyes narrowed. Almost delicately, he lifted his head up and scented the air; only a few people were nearby and though the cold tang of iron and starch of military jackets was a building away, this dark alley held no reason for them to give it more than a passing glance.

Whirling, Levi turned around and faced the thug. Upon seeing he had Levi’s attention, the human grinned. His fingers twitched towards his blade but Levi ignored it, instincts tunneling his vision until only the human, the _prey_ remained.

“Not my usual fare, but you’ll do for today,” Levi remarked coldly, stalking towards him. “Can’t really wait any longer, either.”

His eyes took on a silvery sheen as he focused on the thug. He sneered upon hearing the sudden rapid increase of his heartbeat; he’d no doubt figured out that Levi wasn’t exactly human.

Before the thug could do anything else, Levi’s Compulsion welled and swiftly, the invisible threads of his control sunk deeply into the human’s mind with not even a token of resistance. It was with almost disconcerting ease that he took total control and forced the human to go still, body relaxing and tilting his head back.

As soon as he was within reaching distance, Levi took hold of the human’s hair and harshly jerked his head to the side, having no desire to be gentle as he was with Isabel and Farlan. This thug would have no recollection of this encounter; all he’d be left with was a weakness from blood loss and a sore, throbbing throat with two pinpricks upon his skin.

He'd know what happened, though; overpowered and nothing more than a food source for the type of creature he was selling out.

Levi felt a thrill of dark satisfaction at that.

He forced the brunette thug to bend down to his level and reached up to take hold of his shoulder with his free hand to yank him harshly into a better position. After only a cursory glance to check if his skin was clean- it was, thankfully – Levi parted his lips, allowed his fangs to fully descend and bit down over the throbbing pulse point.

Instantly, blood welled into his mouth and he had to suppress a groan as the hot liquid flowed over his tongue. Levi had been starving, thirsty for so long and this human was better fed and healthier than most. It wasn’t the best he’d had, but considering how scarce the pickings were, Levi was more than happy to lower his standards for today.

He’d only taken a few swallows when the smell of starch hit his nose, followed by a shocked sound. Alarm bells went off in all of his senses and instantly, he ripped his mouth away and whipped his head to find the source of the sound.

 _Scouts_.

What the fuck were soldiers from the Survey Corps doing here? And how had they gotten so close without him realizing?

“Shit,” Levi whispered, mind reeling, still a bit hazy from being interrupted in the middle of feeding. His instincts were going haywire; part of him wanted to stay and continue feeding because the smell of blood was thick in the air and he was so fucking _hungry_ , but a larger part knew that it was better to get away, to flee and live to eat another day.

That’s right, Levi thought, shaking off the nagging bloodlust. He had to get away, to flee before they tracked him down and subdued him, carted him off for Walls-knew-what experiments.

 _Forget what happened after you saw me. Forget my face,_ he hastily ordered the thug via his Compulsion. As soon as he knew the order had been followed, Levi ripped the threads of control away and whirled on his heel, sprinting away from the two large, blonde soldiers. 

````

“Do you see that one, Mike?”

Erwin pointed at the short figure slicing through the crowd with ease. It was strange, the way he seemed to fluidly slip through the throngs so gracefully, easily avoiding touching any of the people even when they were shoulder to shoulder.

“The little guy?” Mike asked. He rubbed his nose as his pale blue eyes narrowed in thought. The myriad of smells in the Underground were fucking with his nose and he couldn’t sense anything out of the normal, regretfully. “Yeah, he seems a bit strange, but do you really think…?”

“I don’t think it would hurt to see where he goes,” Erwin said, tracking his movements with a keen eye. Almost without realizing they were doing it, a few people seemed to bend away from the smaller man, letting him slip by them without causing a commotion. “The reason we’re down here is to investigate rumors of the supernatural. You’ve read the reports and briefings; there’s something odd about him.”

“Alright,” Mike rumbled. “Best keep back; if he’s one of them, he’ll probably be able to sniff us out. I’d bet my nose that his sense of smell is better than mine, even if it’s shot at the moment.”

Erwin just nodded in silent agreement. When the short, dark-haired man was almost out of their line of sight, Erwin gestured to Mike and quietly, they followed. Erwin’s suspicion just kept growing as he watched the fluid, sinuous movements of the man; he seemed to glide over the filthy cobblestones, the crowd appearing to slightly part around him as he made his way through it.

It was eerie. Almost unnatural. 

Suddenly, however, the man stopped and his head raised, revealing a brief hint of his profile. Pale, luminous white skin and almost delicate, pretty features; things that one species of the creatures they were combing the Underground for were known to have. His face and clothes were also spotless, no sign of the muck that seemed to make its way onto everything here.

It made Erwin’s suspicions only raise higher, because this man _should_ have stood out, but he seemed to blend into the Underground with ease.

The man’s head turned towards the towards the alley and he paused. His head tilted, almost as if considering something and then almost hesitantly, he stepped into it.

With a shared looked, Erwin and Mike quickly turned and circled around the building, reaching the other end of the alley just in time to hear a thug say, “Apparently no one ever beat respect into you.”

They peered around the corner, making sure their profiles were hidden in shadow as they saw the man they had been trailing walking back out the way he’d come.

But at the thug’s words, the black-haired man stopped suddenly and became almost unnaturally still. It was like he stopped breathing, stopped living for a second before his entire body tensed. After a moment his shoulders lifted in a deep inhale; it looked almost to Erwin that he was scenting the air, but he could have been attempting to calm himself down.

People down here were rough, quick to anger and even quicker to violence; so, Erwin assumed the latter. He assumed the man’s attempt to calm himself failed when he swiftly turned on his heel and began stalking back to the grinning thug. His face was expressionless, but there was something distinctly predatory in the way he moved that bespoke his anger.

Erwin and Mike dipped back around to avoid being seen, but after a few footsteps, Erwin couldn’t contain his curiosity and peeked back around the corner.

He needn’t have worried; the alley was dark enough to avoid being seen and the man’s pale grey, narrowed eyes were completely focused on the thug.

“Not my usual fare, but you’ll do for today,” Erwin heard the man mutter. The blank mask morphed into an appraising, cold look on as he approached, one that sent all of his instincts screaming.

It reminded him of the feeling he got whenever facing a Titan, that chill down his spine that practically screamed at him to run away, to seek safety.

Whoever this man was, (if he was really _just_ a man) he was _dangerous_.

“Can’t really wait any longer either,” the black-haired man murmured and Erwin held his breath as those pale grey eyes flared to life with an unnatural glow, a silvery sheen turning them iridescent.

It was as captivating as it was frightening, and Erwin had to quickly place a hand over his mouth to stifle a reflexive gasp.

The silvery eyes were focused entirely on the thug and to Erwin’s shock, the human’s body relaxed back and tilted his head to the side. The man reached out with a hand to fist it harshly and yank it to the side.

In awe, Erwin watched as fangs slid from between the man’s lips. The thug instantly bent down to the man’s height – shorter than normal for a man, even in the Underground where nourishment was scarce – and the man reached up to grip a shoulder and yank him almost cruelly around to bare his neck more. Then, after only a cursory glance, he parted his lips and bit down.

The thug didn’t make a single sound, simply stood silently and compliantly.

A thin trickle of blood ran down the thug’s neck and in the silence of the alleyway, Erwin heard a quiet swallow.

His breath stopped.

A vampire, and in the actual flesh no less.

He _knew_ that there were all manners of creatures living in the Underground, had been briefed on the various types and had heard countless reports from the Military Police – it was part of the reason they were here, investigating some rumors – but to think that he was seeing it now…

Next to him, Mike made some sort of shocked noise and suddenly, the man – vampire, Erwin corrected himself – dislodged his fangs with a gasp and turned his head just enough to focus narrowed silver eyes on them.

The vampire’s gaze flicked down to the insignias on their jackets; his eyes widened and a nearly-inaudible, whispered, “ _Shit”_ was heard.

And then the vampire was reeling around, pushing the thug away and just like that, was gone around the corner.

“Fuck,” Mike cursed, visibly shaken, hands shaking a bit where he’d unconsciously went for the triggers of his ODM gear. Reading about it was far different than seeing an actual supernatural creature in the flesh. “What the _fuck_ was that?”

Erwin was barely listening, because the cogs in his mind was turning. To see how that vampire had so _easily_ and ruthlessly subdued the thug, how _swiftly_ he’d flitted away…

Not only was the vampire dangerous, but there was also an undeniable thrill that shot through Erwin at the thought of bending that power to a different purpose.

_The Survey Corps needs all the strength it can get._

“Come on, Mike,” Erwin said abruptly, shooting out his anchors and squeezing the triggers of his gear to jet up into the air. His eyes scanned the area, searching in the direction the vampire had shot off towards. “We’re altering our mission objective a little bit.”

There was a blur racing through the downtrodden streets.

_Let’s see just how fast you are, vampire._

“Erwin, _what_?” Mike exclaimed, even as cursed and shot his anchors out, ODM gear hissing to life as he followed the Squad Leader. “What are we doing?”

Erwin only glanced behind him for a second, giving an eerie grin before he turned away. “Recruiting.”

````

Levi slipped through the open window hastily, sliding from the sill and landing on the balls of his feet, silent as a cat. Already his mind was churning; he’d given the order to forget all that had happened to the ex-military brute, but the other two…

Levi cursed to himself even as he swiftly moved through the room to where Isabel and Farlan were dozing on the couch.

He’d seem the soldiers reaching for the triggers of their ODM gear as soon as the one on the left had spoken. In a panic he’d fled, racing through the streets and pushing his body far past what it could take in this condition. He hadn’t fed nearly enough to restore more than a small amount of strength.

Levi could feel that his eyes were still silvered and fangs were still down, but there wasn’t much he could do about that now. The taste of blood still lingered on Levi’s tongue and after the way he’d taken off and how long he’d gone without feeding…

Luckily, he’d been nothing more than a blur as he surged through the streets; the few people that had seen him wouldn’t have been able to tell who he was, so that much was safe. The humans here knew vampires and other creatures lived among them, so in the end it didn’t matter too much that they’d seen someone flitting by with supernatural speed.

Levi was sure that he’d lost the two soldiers who had seen him, but…

Something was tingling at the edges of his senses, raising the short hairs at his nape and every fibre of his body was telling him to _move_.

Fuck.

He moved to his two companions dozing on their ratty, rundown couch and kicked them before moving to the closet where they kept the ODM gear. Isabel and Farlan jerked awake and then jumped up when they heard the thud of gas tanks and leather harnesses being dropped to the ground in front of them.

“Farlan. Isabel,” Levi said, already jerking the harness on over his vest, latching the gas canister and flight mechanisms on with practiced fingers. “We need to leave. Now.”

Immediately they followed suit, grabbing their respective gear and yanking it on as swiftly.

“What happened?” Farlan asked, brows furrowing as he tightened the buckles over his chest. They were swift in donning the gear, practiced as they were in slipping in and out of it.

Levi clenched his teeth, anger welling within him at the foolish mistake. He was usually so much more careful, but the Undergrounder had been cleaner than most and Levi was just so fucking hungry…

“Wasn’t paying attention. Couple of big blonde soldiers saw me. I lost them, but there’s no telling-”

A sudden hissing of ODM gear followed by a couple of thuds and then the sounding of footsteps from the distance caught his ears; loud, hurried – the strides of two large, determined men.

_Shit. Wasn’t fast enough._

Levi’s eyes slid over to the window.

“Go. Now!”

Isabel and Farlan sprinted over to the window and launched themselves out, swooping out and then diving down to stick close to the ground, just as Levi had taught them. He felt a brief flash of worry for them; the Military Police were shit at the ODM gear, but from what he’d heard of the Survey Corps…

He pushed the thought aside. Even if there were more Scouts down here, as long as his friends kept low, there wouldn’t be any pursuit. These two blondes had only seen him thus far; he was their target, not Isabel and Farlan. Levi had lived in the underground for over 60 years; he knew every street and house, every escape route like the back of his hand.

Even as his friends flew away, Levi hung back for a second. Even in ODM gear, he was swifter and more agile than his pursuers. He’d get the two Scouts’ attention and lead them away before losing them on foot in the maze of abandoned buildings down south. The buildings were too tightly packed together to use ODM gear, the walls likely to crumble as soon as anchors were shot into them.

He’d either force them to pursue him on foot or keep to the rooftops; either way, he’d be able to lose them.

They had a backup hideout; his friends would know where to go to meet up once it was safe to do so. He’d taught them every trick in the book; they could handle themselves well.

Levi was the one these two were after anyway; using himself as bait was a last resort, but there weren’t many other options.

He stood by the window, waiting and tensing up as the footsteps drew closer. There was a thud and Levi’s eyes slid over to their door. It shuddered and splintered slightly under the weight of a kick; fuck, these giants were strong.

Mentally, Levi braced himself, hands planted on the sill. He started counting down, listening to the sound of kicking and the way the locked door started splintering in the jamb.

_3…_

_Kick._

_2…_

_Kick -_

Levi jerked a bit as the door crashed open and the two blonde Scouts came barreling in. Levi looked straight into piercing blue eyes, (Levi had never seen the sky, but he imagined it would be this exact shade of cerulean) and his own widened. Tall and broad, with golden hair and a face that looked as if it had been chiseled from marble.

 _It’s a pity,_ Levi thought almost distantly, _that someone this fucking handsome is going to be turned into Titan shit one day._

Levi knew the soldier was taking a moment to assess him just as he’d done, but it was broken when those eyes dropped down to the ODM gear strapped to his body. Thick eyebrows raised and then his eyes narrowed and he stepped forward, hand raised. “Stop there. We have some questions for you.”

The blonde’s voice was deep and carried the ring of authority. It held no sway over him, though Levi couldn’t deny it was a pleasant voice, deep and reminiscent of the way the foundations of the Underground shook when there was a thunderstorm aboveground.

Instead, he let his eyes light up a bit more, baring his fangs in a blatant sign of aggression and derision. There was an initial flinch, an instinctive recoil at Levi shedding his human mask so easily. The larger of the two, the one with scruffy hair, swore and readied the triggers of his ODM gear.

The other, however…

Those bright blue eyes lit up with something that made apprehension rise in the pit of Levi’s stomach. This one _wanted_ something, and Levi got the feeling that he wasn’t the type to relent until he got exactly what he desired.

In that moment, Levi knew that shaking these two would not be an easy feat. This soldier had been willing and stupid enough to follow a vampire to his lair, after all. A mere chase wouldn’t be enough to dissuade him from chasing after Levi with everything he had. 

If he’d been any other vampire, these two would have already been drained dry, their corpses discarded carelessly in a pit with all the other unlucky souls who perished in the Underground.

But Levi had made a promise years ago, and he had no intention of breaking it unless absolutely forced into a corner with no other option.

 _Doing the noble thing is going to get me fucking killed one day,_ Levi thought.

While he’d been thinking, the golden-haired Scout had stepped forwards again, reaching for the cuffs attached to his belt. “Come quietly. We don’t plan on harming you in any way. We just have questions we’d like answered.”

The whirring of Farlan and Isabel’s ODM gear was but a distant memory at this point, and Levi figured he’d stalled long enough for the two to have traveled a safe distance away. 

“You’ll have to catch me first, idiots,” Levi hissed before gripping the windowsill tightly and launching himself out. He shot his anchors into the first building he could and poured on the gas. Rolling, he dove down, keeping close to the ground and twisting through buildings and around crates and clotheslines as he fled.

The hiss of gas and _thunk_ of anchors being deployed behind him made him grit his teeth; they couldn’t hope to follow him too closely, down here. They didn’t know the streets like Levi did and would only smash into the various obstacles littering the streets if they tried, but they could track his movements from higher up.

Levi wished he could just make the two forget about what they’d seen, but he’d _promised_.

His Compulsion would only be used when there was absolutely no other choice or when he was feeding. There was still a chance the three of them could get away and even if something did happen, well…

Levi could kill these two brutes if he was well and truly backed into a corner. The thought left a bitter taste on his tongue, but self-preservation came above the empathy he had for humans. There was no telling what would happen if they caught him; even now memory of the _look_ in those bright blue eyes chilled him, made his eyes narrow as he poured on a bit more gas in order to put more distance between them.

Luckily, the abandoned buildings he was heading towards weren’t too far; if he switched between sprinting and using his ODM gear in the twisting maze they created, his gas could outlast theirs. Once theirs was depleted, he could lose them with his own gear.

It was a shitty plan, but it was all he had at the moment.

Levi passed through the cave with the weakly-filtered sunlight, eyes narrowing a bit at the sudden change of light. It nearly blinded him, but he pushed through it, unlatching his anchors to drop into another building, racing through it. Through the window he could see the start of close-set, dilapidated buildings and relief surged through his chest.

He was getting tired, body weakened by the weeks of not being able to feed, but still Levi pushed himself. Swiftly, he launched out of the window, intent on diving into the next open one, but a blur above him and a large body barreling into his side knocked him out of the air.

Gritting his teeth, Levi turned his body and let his harness-covered back take the brunt of the fall to the ground. He slid across it, feeling the sharp cobblestones cut into his cloth-covered arms. He was largely unscathed, though, and adrenaline gave him strength as he used his momentum to flip backwards.

In one smooth, swift movement Levi had his feet underneath him and his knife out. Without hesitation, he pushed forwards to lunge at the giant, already anticipating the feel of his knife sinking into the scruffy blonde’s neck.

The blonde’s eyes opened wide as in a movement faster than he could follow, Levi was on him, already raising the knife to swing. But then the other Scout was there and blocking the knife with his paring blade before it could travel further.

The impact of metal on metal sent an uncomfortable shockwave through his arm and made him reel back, eyes narrowed in irritation and teeth gritted.

 _How in the fuck_ -

There was no way his blow should have been able to be intercepted; shit, just how weak had he gotten?

Levi was given no further time to think because the Scout was upon him, and shit, he was _fast_.

But Levi was faster, fueled by anger and supernatural strength; so when the Scout swung his blade, Levi caught it with his knife, sparks flying as they ground to a halt. He could see the blonde’s arm trembling with the strain of resistance as slowly, deliberately, Levi pushed the long paring blade up, his knife pointed right at the Scout’s heart.

He could hear the heartbeat thumping wildly in the broad chest and Levi grinned fiercely, baring sharp fangs as he pushed his knife closer. The pulse of the Scout was beating rapidly under the thin skin of his throat and there was just something so enticing about being close to that pale neck that it lit his eyes back up.

The piercing blue eyes widened slightly as Levi’s eyes went silver in bloodlust and then flicked to the side. “Stop,” the Scout rumbled quietly. “Unless you want your nature to be discovered, back down. Look around you.”

Levi flicked his eyes to the side and – what the fuck, there were _more_ of the fucking Scouts? Two had Isabel and Farlan cuffed and were dragging them over. Luckily, his back was to the other soldiers so they hadn’t seen his unnatural attributes yet, but…

 _Trapped like a rat and no good way out,_ Levi thought grimly. _But…_

He could kill them. He could take out the four of them easily, even as weakened as he was. They could ditch the bodies, steal the gas and lay low for a while, just until everything blew over.

But something in Isabel’s pale face told him she knew what he was thinking and her green eyes were wide in a silent plea.

 _Fuck_.

Levi couldn’t do this in front of them. He’d saved them from Kenny’s fangs all those years ago, made a promise to both them and himself to hold human life in high regard and not become his sociopathic shitstain of an uncle.

They’d never be able to look at him the same way again if he became the monster his uncle had tried to mold him into.

With difficulty, Levi reigned in his bloodlust; he felt his fangs recede, silvered eyes dimming until they were mostly their normal grey. Though the triumph in the Scout’s face made him want to rip out his throat, Levi swallowed his pride and let the knife drop from his hands.

“Good choice, _vampire_ ,” the Scout rumbled quietly and it took everything Levi had not to hiss at the man as he held his hands up higher so all the Scouts could see his surrender.

With a quick movement, the Scout had sheathed his blade and was unhooking a pair of handcuffs from his belt. The cold metal clamped around Levi’s wrist and then his other arm was being jerked down and he was spun, the other locking around his still-free wrist.

“Bring them over here and then search for others,” the blonde Scout called. “There may be others in ODM gear; bring them here if you find them, and I’ll deal with them.”

Ah. He must be their leader, then. This soldier did have the bearing of one; it was apparent in the confident set of his shoulders and the casual authority ringing in his voice.

An odd feeling rose up within him at the thought. It felt somewhat like the threads of his Compulsion, but very much different. Rather than having a clear objective and target, this singular thread reached out, searching… searching…

For what, Levi did not know, but knowing the blonde soldier had been the cause of it left him feeling shaken and a bit off-balance. And fuck, he _hated_ that. His composure was not one to be easily shaken and that this man had been the inadvertent cause of it made him twist his head around to glare at the blonde. 

He’d made vampires older than him back down, but the only response Levi received was piercing blue eyes raking him over with cold calculation before he turned away, murmuring, _I just have a few questions, we’ll figure out what to do with them afterwards._

Levi felt a bit of amusement; if that was the game they wanted to play, then so be it. Farlan and Isabel would follow his lead and if these _pigs_ thought they could get anything out of him, well…

Levi had to suppress a fanged smile. They would be sorely disappointed.

Isabel and Farlan were dragged over and pushed down next to him. The Scout leader tried to do the same with him, but Levi’s temper flared at the thought of being manhandled. Even though Levi was sure the blonde was exerting a large amount of force, it was a simple thing to plant his feet and shrug the hand off with little more than a passing shrug.

The blonde grunted in what Levi hoped was dissatisfaction, but then there was a sharp, precise kick to the back of his knees. Levi was unprepared and was sent down to his knees roughly with a shocked inhale, not expecting the sudden blow.

He didn’t have to look to know that the Scout was looming over him with an annoyed look on his face. Instead, he heard as the other two soldiers were sent away, leaving them alone with the two blondes.

Keeping his head bowed, he shot a quick glance over to Isabel and Farlan; their heads were lowered, too, lips pressed into thin lines in a mirror of his posture; it was a sign of solidarity, a silent reassurance that they wouldn’t spill anything.

Footsteps sounded and the blonde Scout came to face him and folding his arms. It was strange that they weren’t immediately just hauled up and out of the Underground, but the blonde soldier had mentioned he had questions for them.

 _Alright_ , Levi thought, eyeing the man from underneath lowered lashes. _Let’s see just what you want with us._

````

So, the vampire was stronger than he’d initially thought. Erwin knew little about vampires, so he hadn’t expected the dark-haired man to simply stand still and shrug his hand off like an annoying insect, especially when he’d put so much forced behind the push.

The thought of such strength thrilled him.

Now, the three were on their knees before him, heads bowed and lips set in a firm line. He’d dismissed the other two soldiers to see if there were more of this little group, leaving him and Mike alone with the rebels, allowing him to talk to them freely.

His other two soldiers were aware of what they were here for, but Erwin knew that they simply thought of these three as sources of information rather than a vampire and his accomplices. It was strange, though; what little he’d read said that vampires were solitary, aloof creatures that regarded humans as little more than prey and cattle.

But this vampire seemed to be close with his two companions; he’d used himself as bait to allow them to escape. It was the sort of selflessness he hadn’t been expecting and that in itself was extremely interesting to Erwin.

He’d heard the hiss of ODM gear as the other two had sped away, knew that the blonde man and little redheaded girl were more than just simple lackeys. The vampire had stopped attacking as soon as he’d seen the two. He seemed either unwilling to kill in front of them or divulge his secret, if they didn’t know what he was.

Either way, Erwin could use that to his advantage. 

“You know, we were sent down here to investigate some interesting rumors from the Military Police, but to think it would be this _easy_ …”

Erwin’s words received not a single sign of acknowledgement.

He suppressed a frown. It was easy to see that the vampire was the leader of this little ragtag group. Initially, he’d seen only the vampire, but when he’d heard two others speeding away from the run-down apartment and the members of his squad had apprehended them for unauthorized ODM possession and use, it became apparent that they were all together.

The man and woman seemed extremely loyal to the little dark-haired vampire, however. Erwin knew that if he focused his efforts on them, he would only be sorely disappointed. So, for the moment he ignored them and focused entirely on their leader.

“I was quite surprised to see you take off in ODM gear; much more surprised to see how well you use it. Seems like it’s slower than running away for you, though,” he said, addressing his words to the vampire. “You’re quite swift.”

It would seem that these two knew exactly what the vampire was, or they would have shown some interest in his statement. So they were friends, or at least loyal underlings.

There was a slight twitch and then the dark head tilted just enough for a pale grey eye to glare icily at him. It seemed to dare him to keep talking, but then again, Erwin had never been one to back down.

Erwin squatted down to eye level and that glare never left him. It was almost eerie, the intensity of that unwavering stare. It had been a long time since he’d seen that kind of fire, and Erwin was enthralled. For the first time, he was able to get a really good look at the vampire and had to admit he was shocked.

If he’d met this man just in passing by, Erwin would never have guessed that this short, dark-haired man possessed an unnatural strength and speed the likes of which he’d never seen.

He was obviously in good shape; his body was lithe but Erwin could see the muscle underneath the spotless white shirt and brown vest. The vampire’s features were finely-drawn and pretty, though obviously very masculine. His eyes were thin and heavy-lidded and had a slight tilt to them, almost catlike in appearance. The silvery-grey depths shone with a cold, calculating intelligence and a fiery anger, no doubt at being subdued in such a manner.

Even though he’d been forced to his knees in fetid, stagnant water, the vampire’s shoulders remained straight, bearing strong and posture nothing but confident. There was no trace of fear or apprehension to be seen anywhere, despite being discovered as a supernatural and subsequently arrested.

This was a man that would not break or bend unless he allowed himself to do so. 

…Erwin absolutely _had_ to have the vampire in his squad, in the Corps. Wanted it so bad he could practically taste it.

Had to have all of them, because he was sure that the other two’s skills were similar to the vampire’s. They’d be excellent titan-slayers, if he could successfully convince them to join the Survey Corps.

Luckily, Erwin considered himself quite excellent at persuasion.

He just had to figure out what carrot to dangle in front of them. He only hoped he would have all of his fingers intact afterwards, because this little creature seemed the type to take not only the carrot, but a few digits holding it as well.

“My soldiers will return soon, so I’ll make this short,” Erwin started. “While I am admittedly interested in learning where you got the ODM gear and how you learned to use it, I’m far more intrigued by the skill you demonstrated with it. You far surpasses that of most soldiers in the Survey Corps. Therefore, I have a proposition for you.”

The vampire’s visible eye widened a bit before it narrowed again.

“I’m not going to be interested in whatever sort of shitty proposition you came up with.” The words were sharp and his voice was deeper than Erwin had expected. He’d only the hissed, quiet words back in their little hideout; he hadn’t expected the pleasing baritone that rumbled out now.

“Really? You know, I don’t know much about vampires, but I do know you have to feed regularly in order to keep some of your more… unnatural… features under wraps,” Erwin said, recalling some of the scarce information that had been on the brief.

_They have to feed regularly to look human, otherwise they’re easy to spot._

Looking at the vampire’s still slightly descended fangs and the slight, almost missable silver sheen, it looked like this one hadn’t been doing so. Curious, considering that one of the reasons vampires lived Underground was because the beggars and vagrants made such easy fare. “It seems to me that you’re having a bit of trouble doing that.”

“Fuck off,” the vampire spit, his voice as cold as the expression on his face.

Feisty.

His eyes, though, blazed with a fiery anger and Erwin wanted to see more of that. He could get through to the vampire; he just had to find something that he wanted, provoke him enough to get a reaction that would give Erwin a better read on him.

Of course, provoking a deadly creature with fangs and a desire for human blood wasn’t one of the smartest things he’d ever done, but his job consisted of facing Titans and, well….

There were some similarities, Erwin thought with a hint of amusement.

“I expected a vampire to be faster as well; you haven’t been able to find a good food source down here, have you?” he prodded, encouraged by the glimmer of anger in those thin grey eyes.

A short scoff came from the vampire. The silver sheen dissipated from his eyes and the hint of fang receded. Interesting. Had he retained those just enough to try to intimidate Erwin?

“I’m managing just fine.”

“Are you sure?” Erwin asked, allowing a hint of disbelief to seep into his voice. He was gratified at the way the vampire’s eyes narrowed just a bit. “I believe you said something along the lines of ‘can’t wait any longer’ when we found you in that alley.”

A beat of silence, and then the vampire hissed a bit at him before asking, “The fuck do you want?”

Ah, there, Erwin thought, suppressing a smile. Progress. Now they could get down to the real meat of the matter. “I want to propose an exchange; your skills for a steady food source.”

“And who’s going to be sticking out their necks for me to take a bite out of?” the vampire scoffed. Fuck, Erwin hadn’t actually thought that one through; he’d come to a solution later, however. “You?”

Erwin held the vampire’s gaze evenly without flinching, refusing to take the bait and falter. “If need be, yes.”

What Erwin could have sworn was a bit of shock flitting over the pale face was gone in an instant, so fast that Erwin thought he was imagining it. The little vampire had an excellent poker face, the Scout had to admit, perhaps better than even his own. Even though his voice belied his feelings and his eyes burned with anger, he’d remained utterly impassive this entire time.

“Apologies, but animals really aren’t on the menu for me,” the vampire said icily, tone haughty and derisive.

Initially confused, Erwin looked at Mike, who only shrugged. At that, the red-haired girl snorted out a laugh. “What bro means is that he doesn’t feed off of pigs,” she said, voice dripping with contempt.

 _Bro._ So the three of them were quite close, then. Still, just how deep did their bond go?

“I see,” Erwin hummed thoughtfully, voice neutral. He kept his gaze locked with the pale grey one of the vampire for a second longer before nodding his head slightly at Mike.

Without hesitation, he pushed the vampire’s head down into the filthy water that pooled at his feet. The girl and blonde man let out a cry of protest, (protective of the vampire, apparently; another interesting reaction that Erwin filed away for later) but not a split second after his face touched the water the vampire was lifting his head back up, pushing back against Mike’s grip as if it were nothing more than a faint touch upon his head.

A low, rumbling sound came from the small man’s chest and as he lifted his head, he spat the mouthful of water that he’d accidentally inhaled at Erwin’s feet before looking back up defiantly.

“I could rip out your heart and lay it at your feet in an instant,” the man hissed, dirty water streaming down his pale face, eyes flashing silver.

Of that, Erwin had no doubt. He knew the vampire wouldn’t, do it, however. He’d had ample chances to finish them off, yet he and Mike were still alive.

“Then why don’t you?” Erwin countered mildly. He rested an elbow on his knee, tilting his head a bit in thought. “Or would you like me to tell you why you don’t?”

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself instead?” the vampire threw back. His narrowed eyes started to take on an even brighter, silvery sheen and Erwin suddenly felt warm, thoughts clouding as he felt a pull in his mind he was helpless to resist. He suddenly had an undeniable urge to slip his hands down his pants and-

“Levi, no! Remember your promise!” the girl cried, and as quickly as it had come on, the warmth that had started to suffuse Erwin faded away, leaving him unnaturally chilled. His mind cleared and he realized his hand was raised, hovering right over the belt of his leather sash.

A chill went through him as he remembered the sudden, ridiculous urge he’d had just a moment before.

_Why don’t you go fuck yourself instead?_

Was that… would he have been able to force Erwin to…?

The vampire – Levi – looked startled, almost taken aback, before the light dimmed from his eyes and he looked away, grimacing. It was the first time that bored mask had slipped and Erwin instantly took note.

Intriguing. Was _that_ the sort of power that Levi possessed? Was it what he had used on the thug he’d briefly fed on back in the alley?

It had to be, and the thought of such power, of being able to bend someone to your will was as frightening to Erwin as it was fascinating.

He hadn’t been subjected to it long enough to see what would happen, but Erwin found himself wholly captivated by the thought of learning about it – which he would, eventually.

Pieces were falling into place; the vampire’s refusal to kill, the strong familial bond he had with these two, their loyalty to him, how a single word from the girl had stopped him from using an incredible power…

This was either a vampire that was very, very adept faking at being human to hide his darker nature, or…

He genuinely cared about and valued human life, especially the lives of his two friends.

Based on what he’d observed thus far, Erwin was inclined to believe the latter.

If he hadn’t been before, Erwin was absolutely sure of it now; he wanted, _needed_ these three in the Survey Corps. Erwin didn’t care what he would have to sacrifice to make it happen, because there was something in his gut telling him that if he were to simply let these three go, especially Levi, it would be the worst mistake of his entire life.

“I think that harming humans is the last thing you want to do,” Erwin said softly, continuing as if nothing had happened. “You could kill the two of us, but you have no desire to. You could break free and flee if you really wanted to, but the thought of a stranger knowing your secret frightens you.”

Levi remained silent and Erwin knew he was right, especially when the blonde man suddenly spoke up.

“You have no idea what they’d do to him if they discovered what he was. The things we’ve heard the scientists aboveground do to discovered supernatural creatures is horrific,” he spat. “He doesn’t kill or hurt people; Levi’s just like the rest of us who are trying to survive in this shitty place!”

“I’ve suspected that the Military Police were rounding up supernatural creatures for exactly that reason,” Erwin replied, distaste seeping into his voice at the mere thought. Everyone knew the age-old saying _the walls have ears_ , and Erwin paid well for the information that was delivered to him from the capital. “Believe me, I have no intention of revealing your secret to anyone.”

For the first time since he’d looked away, Levi glanced back up. His eyes had reverted back to their previous pale grey, but they still shimmered slightly with that silvery glow.

“Then what do you want?” he asked quietly. His voice spoke of distrust, but Erwin couldn’t blame him. Levi was in a precarious situation and finally, he felt the time was right to lay all his cards on the table.

“If I wasn’t sure of it before, I am now.” Erwin knelt before him, lowering himself to the vampire’s level so that they could be equally eye-to-eye. Levi’s brows quirked upwards the slightest bit at this gesture and Erwin could tell that he had the vampire’s full attention. His next words were impassioned and nothing but honest. “I want you to lend your strength to the Survey Corps. With your abilities, you could save countless lives and help us reclaim the world beyond the walls.”

The vampire blinked once, as if not expecting the fervent words.

“And why would I want to do that?” Levi asked, no longer bothering with his impassive mask.

His face spoke openly of contempt now. Another man might have been discouraged, but all Erwin could see was that slowly, he was breaking through to the vampire, getting him to listen and _think_ about his offer.

Excitement welled in Erwin’s chest and it took tremendous will to keep his voice neutral.

“Because I can give you something that you don’t have down here; freedom,” Erwin told him, seeing the way grey eyes opened a bit wider at the word. Encouraged, Erwin pressed on. “All I require of you is to become soldiers in the Corps, and in return, I can give you a warm place to sleep and three meals a day. I can’t promise your safety – you’ll most likely die sooner or later, but I can imagine that would be preferable to eking out a sad survival here.”

“Walls above, you must be the goddamn thickest person alive. Dunno if you’ve noticed,” Levi drawled, brow quirking, “but I can’t eat anything you’d consider normal. And I rarely sleep, so beds mean shit to me.”

His voice, was condescending, but all Erwin could think was, _he hasn’t said no._

Erwin just had to strike at the vampire’s weak point: his friends and their wellbeing.

“It might not mean anything to you, but I know you want what’s best for your companions,” Erwin said, and the quick, unavoidable glance Levi gave over to them and the barest softening of his expression told Erwin he was right. But it would take more than that to convince Levi to come along willingly – and it was the vampire he had to convince. No matter the promises he made, the other two wouldn’t go anywhere without Levi, that he could tell already. “I can give you the fresh air you’ve never experienced, expanses of endless blue sky you’ve never dreamt of.”

At that, the girl and man gasped, but Erwin’s gaze never faltered.

The silvery eyes widened and Levi’s lips parted – _he wants that_ , Erwin thought, but then as quickly as it had come, the vampire’s pale face settled into a derisive sneer.

“You must really not know anything about my kind, blondie,” Levi snorted. “Fun fact; sunlight burns us to ashes. Unless you operate during the night, I’ll be nothing but a charred husk the moment I set foot under that sky.”

“But Levi,” the blonde started, only to immediately fall into silence as the vampire cut an icy look his way.

Ah, so the other two were starting to think about his offer as well; the girl’s big green eyes looked faraway, as if already envisioning the sky and the blonde looked a bit more ruffled, too.

But he _had_ to get through to Levi first, which was proving to be a harder feat.

“Maybe for normal vampires,” Erwin said, quirking an eyebrow, “but I’m inclined to believe that you, at least, are a bit different. You flew through a cave with sunlight filtering through and you’re sitting here now unscathed. Am I wrong?” Erwin pressed.

The vampire gave no sign to confirm that, but Erwin knew he was right. According to the brief, vampires _should_ have a negative reaction to sunlight, but this one had flown under the sun’s rays as easily as if he were human.

It was part of the reason Erwin wanted to recruit him so badly; a vampire with incomprehensible strength and agility combined with insane ODM skills who could operate in the daylight?

Erwin _needed_ him in the Corps.

A small sound came from the girl and Levi’s eyes flicked over to her before returning his focus to Erwin. It was obvious she deeply wanted what Erwin was offering, and Levi knew it too; he wanted it just as badly as her.

After a moment of silent consideration, the vampire tilted his head.

“You’re observant,” Levi murmured, stare turning a bit calculating and Erwin was gratified by the unspoken confirmation. Grey eyes raked over Erwin, assessing, thoughts churning behind shuttered eyes as the vampire sized him up. “You recruit all new soldiers like this?”

Erwin grinned; the hostility had abated and he could sense he was getting to the vampire. Levi was seriously considering his offer.

“Only the ones that try to run,” he said, elation surging through him.

Thin black eyebrows drew up slightly. “You’re insane,” Levi muttered, tilting his head a bit more in unconscious intrigue.

“Most likely,” Erwin agreed, grin widening a bit more. “You have to be to stare down Titans.”

_He’s going to take the offer._

Erwin could feel it, the slight hint of interest in that smooth voice.

“I can only imagine staring at giant naked bodies all day would do that to someone,” Levi drawled. His eyes flicked over Erwin again and his tense shoulders relaxed a bit. “Who are you?”

_I have him._

“Erwin Smith, Squad Leader in the Survey Corps.”

“Smith, huh?” Levi murmured. He narrowed his eyes in silent thought and Erwin held his breath as the next few seconds ticked by. Finally, the vampire tilted his head to the side. “Levi Ackerman.” He jerked his head to his companions. “They’re Isabel and Farlan. We’ll join.”

_YES._

Erwin’s heart started thumping in his chest, an elated thrill shooting through him. “Excellent.” With swift movements he and Mike were unlocking the trio’s handcuffs, tucking them away as they rubbed their wrists. He looked at the three newest members and smiled. “Welcome to the Survey Corps, recruits.”

Walls, they were going to do _magnificent_ things. Levi was a new hope, a new chance at the defeating the Titans and Erwin could hardly wait to see him in action.

“The Survey Corps, huh. I’ll be looking forwards to the night terrors and existential dread,” Levi murmured drily, rising to his feet gracefully and flicking hair still damp with filthy water away from his face.

“Don't worry; we have weekly competitions to see who can come up with the most creative coping mechanisms,” Erwin replied with a slight grin, glancing back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw silvery eyes widen and pink lips quirk upwards.

It was quiet, but Erwin knew he heard a soft, breathy, “ _heh_ ,” come from the vampire, and despite everything, he felt an undeniable swell of excitement, and dare he say- hope.

````

But then, that first expedition had come and in one fell swoop, Levi had lost everything he had ever held dear. His world shattered underneath him and a strength he had never known, even as a vampire, surged through him as he ripped apart the thing that had stolen everything from him.

And even as his world crumbled, Erwin had come and helped him pick up the pieces, giving him meaning and a purpose.

And then when the unbidden thought of, _Fine. I’ll follow you, Erwin Smith,_ had risen to his mind, Levi had jerked, because a tingling had started in his core and spread through his entire body. A faint, intangible thread had unspooled within his mind, flung outwards, and involuntarily Levi’s eyes had followed it to where it ended – Erwin Smith.

Levi had met piercing blue eyes and saw the way they widened, and Levi knew that he’d felt it too, the faint, whispering thread that linked them together. Levi had no clue what it was or what it meant, but almost involuntarily, Levi inclined his head towards the blonde.

A strange sort of look flitted over Erwin’s face, one that seemed a bit like a mixture of confusion and wondering awe before he returned the gesture and turned back around, posture a bit straighter, shoulders set a bit more confidently now.

_I’ll follow you, Erwin Smith. Let’s see where you’ll lead._

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Eren's wolf form, with a twist.


End file.
